The latest news and information regarding St. Louis car accidents. Car accident attorney Christopher Hoffmann provides useful tips on what to do if you are involved a Missouri auto accident and how you can work to prevent such accidents from happening.

08/29/2017

Car accidents can occur anytime, anywhere. Missouri sees a fair share of car accidents, and many people get injured and lose their lives in these accidents. In Missouri, car accidents occur from of a variety of reasons, including the negligence or recklessness of one or more drivers. Regardless of the cause of the accident, the resulting injuries can be life changing. There is a strong link between failure to wear a seat belt and many of the serious injuries and fatalities that result from car accidents.

This summer has already witnessed a large number of catastrophic car accidents. In fact, 4th of July weekend saw accident related deaths more than triple the number last year. Many of those involved in these car accidents were not wearing their seat belt, despite the Missouri law requiring the all drivers and passengers to buckle up at all times.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Missouri fatalities by auto accidents that involved failing to use proper restraints well exceeded the national average in the past few years. In fact, traffic accidents are one of the most common causes of fatalities for those aged 30 and less in the US. In Missouri, people in the age group of 21-34 years are at the biggest risk of death from car accidents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also indicates that the rate of seat belt usage lags considerably behind the national average. In fact, only 79 percent of Missouri drivers use seat belts, while nationally as many as 86 percent of drivers buckle up. It is estimated that if drivers and passengers used the restraint systems, and strapped their children into appropriate boosters and car seats, the number of serious injuries and fatalities could be reduced by 50 percent.

Most of us believe that winters are often a dangerous time to be on the roads because of poor weather conditions such as fog, snow, and ice. However, summer time has it's dangers as well. The safety depends totally on the actions of the drivers and passengers, because it is often the negligence of a driver that directly causes a car accident and the resulting damages. It is therefore important to follow all traffic rules while driving, including wearing your seat belt at all times.

If you happen to get into a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you can claim the resulting damages from the at-fault driver. Speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney24/7 at (314) 361-4242.